I’m not sure if people realise this about me but I really love music. I’m almost always listening to music and I feel strongly about certain songs and certain types of music.

I have strong emotional associations with music. I listen to a song and I’ll think about the things I was doing when I listened to it or how about how it makes me think of a certain person. Or whatever. There are a lot of complicated and highly emotional reasons that I connect music with people. And I’ve always been aware that I listen to a song and it reminds me of people or places or situations.

But awhile back I was on a dog walk and I had my normal, long playlist with lots of different types of songs and music that I enjoy on it. And two songs in a row play called ‘Stay’ and it’s at that point that I think, huh, isn’t that interesting? It’s possible that at the time I was thinking about dating and relationships (and how he didn’t stay) but I can’t say for sure. But it was the catalyst for me to go through my music and realise that … there are two main groups of songs that I like the most.

The first, the uncertainty of love.

The first that stuck out to me was all the songs I love and connect with about the uncertainty of love.

Will You Love Me Tomorrow? by The Shirelles

I Can’t Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt

Stay by Rhianna

Stay by Maurice Williams

Stay by Shakespears Sister

You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Dusty Springfield

All of these songs are like … do you love me? Are you going to stay? Will you stay? Will you love me? And that feels like my personal brand. I am so called out by this group of songs.

The second, physical touch.

And the second group are songs that pretty much yearn for physical touch. As I do. I am so touch-starved, it is ridiculous. When I daydream about other people in my life, I mostly dream about hugs. Dead serious.

I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles

Hold My Hand by Hootie and the Blowfish

Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer

These Arms of Mine by Otis Redding

Open Arms by Tracy Chapman

Baby, Can I Hold You by Tracy Chapman

Eagle eyed readers will notice that Baby, Can I Hold You makes it on that list. It’s no accident that I named my blog after my favourite song in the whole world. And that that song is about both the uncertainty of love and physical touch. It’s like my brain knows what I want and need and it landed on a favourite for a reason.

Maybe your taste in music tells you nothing about yourself but it was interesting doing a little deep dive into my playlist.